hey folks, i'm looking at selling my underpowered, problem plagued 4banger toyota and upgrading to a 1999 - 2003 dakota. i'm looking for an extended cab, 4x4, with a canopy, power everything etc. it'll be used for some road trips, daily driving, hunting and fishing.

my questions is (and i may be opening a can of worms here), which would be my better bet: the 5.2L V8 or the 4.7L V8? which has more aftermarket options, and which is easier to get better fuel economy out of?

my toyota is underpowered, so it maybe gets14 - 16mpg (canadian mpg). i'm not expecting to be getting high mpg with a truck, but i'd like a better power to fuel economy ratio and would like the best fuel economy i can get with a v8.

 

forget fuel economy with any engine platform. more aftermarket parts for 5.2 but enough for the 4.7. both engines are powerfull you cant go wrong with either one.

 

Depending on how you drive, you can get about 22mpg out of a Dak. Most of the time it will be 18 or so.

Get the bigger bed if you can, my 5.5 bed sucks a fat one.

 

Yea 22mpgs outa a v8 is a joke my truck started out at getting 19 with no mods and driving like a granny lol
I get about 14 in winter 17/18 summer (US) with cai and exhaust
But as far as available mods 5.2 has way more like superchargers and such but the 4.7 has some good ones as well I love my 4.7 I can beat almost any trucks on the road my buddies triton f150, a cummins turbo diesel and then some imports between lights lol
Any of the trucks is good especially if ur stepping up from a 4 banger let alone a yota lol

 

Yeah you opened a can of worms alright lol...

But the 4.7 gets better fuel economy, not 22 mpg, but you can average around 18. Thats what I average but its a CC and a 5 speed. The 5.2 will probably average you 15-16.

In turns of aftermarket support, the 5.2 has better aftermarket support by far. You can do the basics with the 4.7, like headers,exhaust, cai, superchips, ect. So if thats all you're looking for its fine. But if you plan on getting deep into the motor the 5.2 has heads, cam, intake mani, and all that stuff readily avalible.

I love my 4.7 and I think its a more reliable motor then the 5.2. I have had zero problems with my motor so far (knock on wood) where as I owned a 3.9 (basicaly the same motor minues 2 cylinders) and had a lot of problems. But thats just my experience. Some people will tell you the opposite probably.

Either motor is a good choice. Just depends on if you want a little better fuel economy/better reliability or more aftermarket support & a little more torque.

 

thanks for the info. yeah, i don't expect to get high fuel economy with a truck. if i wanted that, i'd be driving a car. i'd just rather have 200+hp and 18mpg, than 120hp and 16mpg. maybe i'm weird, but that just makes sense. lol.

i don't plan to get super deep into the engine, since i'm not building up a race truck or anything. i will want to do the basics: air intake, exhaust, chip etc. it sounds like the 4.7L would do the trick.

are there any common issues with dakotas that i should be aware of? certain parts wear out fast, or the factory ones suck? that kind of thing.

 

If my 5.2 can do 20-21MPG freeway, the 4.7 should at least match it, mind you I have a 5 speed...

I prefer the 5.2...

 

Thats impressive that you can get 20mpg with yours. I am also a 5 speed. But im bone stock with the exception of my Hooker aerochamber and drop in K&N. You have a lot of mods that help fuel economy and haven't gotten too deep into mods yet to the point where you start losing some fuel eco.

As far as things to look for. The 2nd gen Daks eat ball joints for breakfast. Which if you're are ok with a wrench isn't a big deal to fix. But if you need a dealer to do it you're looking at 800-1000 dollars. The suspension bushings can wear out too, but again, aren't too hard to fix.

Those are the things I've noticed. Only major problem I've had is the CTM going bad which is something the dealer kind of has to fix. Mine went though because the person who installed the alarm (previous owner) didn't wire it correctly and water got into some connections. So kind of a rare thing.

There are always going to be some small things here and there but not too many people have MAJOR problems. Especially if you decide to get a 4.7.

The biggest thing to look for though, is how the previous owner(s) took care of it. If it was taken care of properly, it will last you a long time. If it was beat on everyday, not so much.

 

My upcoming mods are only going to help with fuel economy, or at least not let it drop any

 

Make a hydrogen kit, that will help